Coquette Maman

Easy Nursery & Kid's Room Decor with Letters

If you're looking for ways to spruce up the decor in a nursery or kids room, there's no easier way than personalizing it with their name. I love the classic simplicity of these Storybook Letters ($11 each letter, $4 extra for ribbon) from New Arrivals, Inc. Choose from a variety of ribbon styles from polka dots to new chevron patterns.

You can also go with block letters for a fun display if you don't want to hang things on a wall. New Arrivals, Inc has them in a variety of colors and prints for just $8 each. I also love the vintage feel they have.

Go even simpler with just a jumbo wooden letter ($68) and mix in photos.

See all letters from New Arrivals, Inc.

BonLook: Stylish Sunglasses for Kids

BonLook has launched a stylish kids collection of sunglasses in collaboration with Bleu Bird and Love Taza. These stylish sunnies come in classic and fun styles like they popped off the runway and shrank down into little mini me versions. Each pair of sunnies are only $39.

Personalized Books and Gifts for Kids at My Chronicle Books + Giveaway

I plan on giving lots of books as gifts this holiday season and a lot of them are for the little kids I know. Every child loves to hear a fun story and a for a kid, nothing makes a story cooler than having them be a part of it!

Chronicle Books has just launched My Chronicle Books, a place for personalized books, gifts, and more. I just gave my daughter the Princess Chloe book today for her birthday and she wanted to hear the story again and again. She loved seeing her name and photo within the book, as well as the name of her favorite pony "Sparkle" which I added in. I also bought Speedster Mathieu for her classmate's birthday a few weeks ago and he loved that both his brother Alex and Chloe were other racers in the book.

The process is super easy. Just fill in the various form fields the child's name, birth date, and anything else that's asked for. Then instantly, you'll be able to preview the whole story with all the information page by page before you buy the book. Watch the video above to find out how easy it is to create a special book!

You can also personalize placemats, growth charts, wall art, lunch boxes and more. It's the perfect gift for the holidays and birthdays.

There's a Friends & Family Holiday Sale going on now! Get 35% off + free shipping. Use the discount code: FRIENDS at My Chronicle Books.

Giveaway
One lucky Coquette Maman reader will be able to win a personalized Speedster or Princess book. To enter, just leave a comment to this post. It's easy! You must be a resident of the U.S. or Canada. The giveaway ends on Friday, November 30, 2012 at 5pm PST.

Note: This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Note: The Princess book was provided by Chronicle Books for review.

John Varvatos Boys Collection

Boys sometimes don't get as much of a fashionable clothing selection when it comes time to shop. I always seem to see the same old sports themed casual wear or dressed up preppie boy. That's why I felt so refreshed to see John Varvatos' new boys collection that features dressed up little hipster wear that is party perfect for the holiday season. I love the look of a black blazer mixed up with a t-shirt and even a vest.

The prices aren't cheap for kids clothing but if you could only get one thing, I would recommended this John Varvatos Boys' Velvet Two Soft Jacket ($175) that could be paired with simple black pants and t-shirt. If anything, the collection is inspiring to give us a fresher model of style for little boys.

Wee Wonderful Dolls at Land of Nod

I have been a long time fan of Hillary Lang of Wee Wonderfuls blog and have a lot of her doll/toy patterns. She's just launched her new Wee Wonderful dolls ($39 each) with the Land of Nod, just in time for the holidays. Choose from Winx, Fern, Skip, Bertie, or Charlie. Each doll is handmade and measures 11" wide by 17" high.

For crafters:

If you want to make your own dolls, pick up this PDF pattern or booklet to make Kit, Chloe & Louise ($15 at Wee Wonderfuls). I have this pattern and love it. I plan on making the Chloe doll for my own Chloe some time soon.

Hillary also has a fabulous book called Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love ($18.15 on Amazon) where you can learn how to sew up 24 dolls and clothes.

KEEN Sandals for Active Toddlers and Kids

With the warm weather approaching, it's time to refresh kid's summer shoes. Pretty strappy sandals are so beautiful on little girls' feet but with school and active kids in playgrounds, I find it's more important to protect their feet more than anything. Chloe has had these KEEN Whisper Sandals ($44.95 on Amazon) for about a month now. They keep her feet cool and are so lightweight. It puts my mind at ease that she has the traction to run around and climb things on the playground or park. They are also perfect for the beach. I can't rave enough of how these shoes have kept up in terms of quality as Chloe has been wearing them a lot. They come in a variety of fun colors too. Just in time for summer break!

You can also get them in smaller toddler sizes 4-7 for only $34.95.

Tea Collection for Kids - Fall 2011 Preview

I visited the Tea Collection studios in San Francisco recently and got a first glimpse into their new fall 2011 collection for kids. (You can see my women's fall 2011 preview post on Coquette here.) If you don't know already, Tea is one of my favorite kids clothing brands because their clothes are not only stylish but they are actually clothes that kids can live their life in everyday from the playground to school.

This season's theme (they have a new locale each season) is "Modern Mexico". From shirred tops and dresses for girls to Lucha Libre/Dia de los Muertos themed clothing for boys, I love how the designers infused touches of Mexico with a fresh look for today's kid. Tea clothing can also grow with your kid. Take it from my who has a 2.5 year old who wears 4 year old clothing! All pants have adjustable waistbands and some have reinforce knee areas.

Don't even get me started on the prints. Aren't they cute? They are by far my favorite and I can't wait to dress up Chloe in these pieces as part of her Back to School wardrobe when she starts preschool this September. Here is is wearing the Bird of Paradise Dress ($39) and the Secret Garden Top ($35). One of my favorite things about their clothing is the way you can layer them and mix and match the pieces. For me, in SF this is essential as the weather here can be sunny one minute, then windy and cold the next. Chloe already loves her new outfits that work perfectly for us when we are out and about or just cuddling little Lulu. For the red flower embroidered tee, I love that Chloe chose to accessorize it with her little bead necklaces and bracelet.

Check out the new arrivals for girls and boys on the Tea Collection web site. Get a head start on some Back to School shopping!

More photos from the Tea studio visit and photos from their fall photoshoot are after the jump!

Note: Chloe's Bird of Pardise Dress and Secret Garden Top in 3rd photo were gifted by Tea Collection.

Carter's New Online Shop!

Carter's is the best brand for baby or toddler staples such as PJ's, onesies, tees, and pants. Their clothes have weathered the storm of many a barf fest or diaper explosion. Now you can shop online and get free shipping on orders of $50 or more. Pick up this Monkey 4-Piece Gown Set ($15) for boys or this Blue Tutu Dress-Up Glitter PJ's ($13) for girls.

Stella McCartney's New Spring GapKids Collection

The new Stella McCartney for GapKids collection for spring is available in stores and online. The collection features nautical inspired looks, bold prints, as well as my favorite, the soft crochet-trimed pieces for girls. Take a peek with the Lookbook or check out some of my favorites below.
The collection comes in sizes for babies, toddlers and boys/girls. I've linked to the toddler sizes below.

Toddler Girl:

Beckett Summer Jacket ($68)

Crochet Dress ($68)

Mercy Crochet Butterfly Sweater ($58)

Bailey Sun Dress ($58)

Pleated Sailor Shorts ($42)

Toddler Boy:

Anchor Intarsia Sweater ($68)

Fitz Superhero T ($28)

Raglan Superhero Graphic T ($28)

Colorblock Hi-Top Sneakers ($48)

Five Pocket Jeans ($58)

Lands' End Baby

I'm not really a Lands' End kind of gal but I just found out they have a Lands' End Baby line that is totally affordable and filled with lots of adorable essentials. This baby cable cardigan ($12.99) and matching cable knit pants ($9.99) are on sale and come in lots of different colors.